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06-01-08, 03:04 AM
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#31 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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Another thought...
The JP companies not only make ONE offroad capable truck in a model year, the make a gradient of them. Take the LCs. In 2006 you can go all the way from the hardcore 70s all the way down to the "commuter level" Hilux and Surf. This is the equivalent of Ford carrying everything from a Hummer (h1) to a Subaru Forester. Toyota made a flavor of diesel 4wd to fit everyones taste...from occassional trips to the river to people who really use their trucks for serious work or wheeling Then you have the Prado, the middle of the road, cushy enough for a daily commute, but still a very capable vehicle. It will be a sad day when I go back to the states...if I go back...and have to give up my 74. Maybe California will get their heads out of their asses by then...probably not...they hadn't in the 20 years I lived there... |
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06-01-08, 06:09 AM
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#32 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Fukuroi-shi,Shizuoka-ken, Japan
Posts: 15
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Now that was a good laugh! Like I said before, I think we're actually in agreement, and believe me, I do know how lucky I am. $8k for an LJ78 with 70,000km in perfect condition, compared to unavailable in the U.S. and $15-20K in Canada. That's a big reason why it took me until now to own my first. Btw, I recently took one of those logging roads myself and it scared the bejeesus out of me. Better than an amusement park any day!
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06-01-08, 10:36 AM
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#33 |
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IH8MUD Lifer
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,226
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the last REAL off road vehicle that North America made was the bob-tailed bronco... anything since has been crap.
i owned those Mits diesel jeeps (4 of them) and they are WICKEDLY fun, economical and capable. i will be getting another in a couple years. i want the J55...drool. cheers __________________ pulling this info out of my ass so take it with a pound of salt "People are poor because they don't spend money wisely, tough sh!t !!! " John Galt 09/22/08 Wayne Owen Sound Ontario http://www.ivoac.ca separating the rumours from the truth. join today |
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06-01-08, 11:54 AM
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#34 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
Furthermore, It is hard as hell to find a FJ40 in Japan. Plus 40s were never offered with lockers.  No HZJ 75s were never offered to the Japanese market! __________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA Last edited by PacToy; 06-01-08 at 12:04 PM. |
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06-01-08, 06:16 PM
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#35 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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JET? Nope, been here 3 years doing advertising and international marketing. Don't hang around in gaijin bars...in fact dunno where one is here.
Yahoo!オークション - ランクル77ｚｘデフロック付公認改造多数走行少なし Meant long wheel base, not necessarily the 75 specifically. Basically a truck in comparable size to the suburban. Prttey tough finding this guy.... Yahoo!オークション - ランドクルーザー ランクル 40 白 BJ41 4,000usd buy it now. And yes they did come with lockers...I've seen quite a few with cable lockers over here. |
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06-01-08, 07:24 PM
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#36 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
__________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA |
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06-01-08, 11:41 PM
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#37 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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Guess you wanted an actual FJ (why oh why would you pass on a diesel)...none up right now, but they're on regularly.
oh I want this one... Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net says non diesel... makes it an FJ Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net |
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06-02-08, 03:45 AM
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#38 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
Nevermind!
__________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA |
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06-03-08, 10:08 PM
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#39 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ito city, Shizuoka Japan
Posts: 8
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Hey Fellas, good thread albeit a bit heated. I had been in the market for a 4x4 since I decided my E25 Nissan Caravan camper van just wasn't "right" for traveling to Nagano every other weekend for skiing. BTW, those Nissan 3.0L diesel turbos are GREAT engines.
Anyway, I looked at every 4x4 on the market from from new LC 100's, New Prados to FJ Cruisers, Hilux Surfs, X Trails.....all the way down to the Honda Crossroad...lol. What did I settle on?? A 70 series 3L turbo Prado...transfer will be done this Friday. I must admit those little Jimnys have piqued my curiosity though. As for the FJ's...Every time I see one it certainly draws my attention but I must say it's pretty rare to see them. That said, my neighbor just picked one up. |
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06-04-08, 09:17 AM
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#40 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Fukuroi-shi,Shizuoka-ken, Japan
Posts: 15
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Sweet! Glad to hear it! Just make sure you cover your ass and get a good warranty that specifically covers the head and anything related to overheating. I haven't heard about as many problems with the 3L but it would still be wise since I personally believe that part of the problem is poor maintenance and not just the motors. Then again, I'm just a royal noob so what do I know! LOL (couldn't resist!) Post a pic when you can and if you've got a number or url for JOINT please pass it on as well. Btw, NISSAN will be debuting their new "clean diesel" engine in the X-Trail in the near future although I don't know enough about it to give an educated opinion on it. Supposed to be a big step up. Still not reason enough to consider that particular vehicle though!
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06-05-08, 05:20 PM
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#41 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ito city, Shizuoka Japan
Posts: 8
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Ya, I got a two year warranty in the deal but the 3L is a whole different "ballgame" than the 2.4L. It's one of the most robust engines in the LC lineup and is not prone to any of the problems normally associated with the earlier ones. You are right though...I certainly don't know what kind of maintenance schedule the car had up to now so a 2 year warranty (from Toyota) is comforting.
Yes, in my search I did take a good look at the Nissan X-Trail diesel due out in August. But, alas, agreeing with you..the rest of the car does really nothing for me. I'll be getting the Prado tomorrow and I will post some pics. Their homepage sucks but nevertheless here is Joint's site. http://www.joint-offroad.com/ Cheers, Chris |
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06-05-08, 09:44 PM
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#42 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
What Land Cruiser or LC Prado comes with the 3L? HiLuxs or Hi-Ace cab overs have the 3L but there is no Land Cruiser that I know of that comes with a 3L. Maybe I'm reading it wrong or you meant the 3B. __________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA |
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06-06-08, 06:47 AM
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#43 | |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ito city, Shizuoka Japan
Posts: 8
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Quote:
All of the LC Prado KZJ78W diesels are 3.0L turbos. They are the ONLY 70 series Prados the Japanese are remotely interested in and really hold their value. Check out the Flexnet site for LC eye candy. Here's a link to the Prado page. http://www.flexnet.co.jp/prado/src.html Cheers, Chris |
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06-06-08, 07:59 AM
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#44 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
Yeah, the KZJ78s are a world of difference over the LJ78s when it comes to engine performance and maintenance. I like the Prado 78 platform for Japan and that type of driving. __________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA |
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06-07-08, 02:11 AM
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#45 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Fukuroi-shi,Shizuoka-ken, Japan
Posts: 15
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Chris,
Just got mine back today. New engine other than a few odds and ends that they transferred over from the old one. New water pump and rad too. That Toyota warranty saved my ass! Of course with the new motor came a new timing belt, so I shouldn't have to do too much for another 100K, I hope! I mentioned a couple of preventative things such as non-water based coolant and synthetic oil to the service manager, but his head just cocked like a dog that's heard a strange sound, so I'll just trust them for now and keep that warranty close! I brought up that new NISSAN diesel at work this past week and they say that although the primary market will be Europe due to the current diesel restrictions in many of the major cities in Japan, they're pretty confident that the legislation will change once the gov sees the specs on it's performance. In addition to being eco-friendly, it is also supposed to have almost none of the all-too-familiar diesel engine vibrations. Now if they could just put it in a better vehicle! I also did some asking around about bio-diesel here in Japan, but it seems to be unavailable at the pump. Might have to work something out with the local Izekayas and start making my own! Of course then every time I drove down the street everyone would be wondering who was making tempura! Mark |
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06-07-08, 09:44 PM
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#46 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ito city, Shizuoka Japan
Posts: 8
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Hey Mark,
Congrats on your rebuild. You should be good to go for a looong time. Just curious, Who did the work for you? LOL...I've been reading quite a bit about bio-diesel and "veggie" oil alternatives. In fact, there was a fellow here in Japan that was running his big motor home with vegetable oil. Interesting, but, I think diesel is going to have to go up a lot in order for me to go through all that....lol. I do like "ebi fry" though..  .After my stint with the Nissan diesel I'm sold on their quality. The X Trail diesel will be a great unit. I picked up my Prado yesterday. Damn fine vehicle. I'm totally tickled. |
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06-10-08, 07:16 PM
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#47 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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....
Should have held out for this guy....
Yahoo!オークション - ★希少★逆輸入ランクル75ディーゼルガス適合！！ About oil in JApan, I don't know how much longer you'll have to wait for it to be cheaper. Oil from the supermarket is already 20y cheaper than 18L of diesel. I know some of the fleet trucks here in Matsuyama run it, you can smell it. Theres also a biodiesel plant here, apparently they only sell to coops and trash trucks, but I think its more a question of volume...and if thats the case...I'd gladly buy in 200L drums. Also, gas is expected to top out at 200y/L according to what the government thinks we are willing to pay. |
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06-11-08, 12:13 AM
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#48 |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Sunshine Coast Gibsons B.C
Posts: 33
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I know I shouldn't do this but here I go. I have seen this thread and have shook my head many times.
The Japense 4x4 trucks out of the box are one of the most capable trucks on the market. They have been and always will. The one thing that the american market has better then the the Japanese is the old chevy pedal. I own a 1991 2.4L head cracker Prado cruzer with tons of modifications. My old man has a 1995 chevy pick up with the 350 and a high performance eaton rear end on 33's. We wheel every weekend and at the end of the day I'am always impressed that he can keep up with me. My Prado is way more graceful then his but when I get stuck he just romps his and drives around me. All trucks are built for different jobs. Most people say their trucks are better than others. They say this after tons of money , sleepless night and lots of modifications. Any truck that is modified will do well off road. I tend to think it is the driver who makes the truck not the truck. Thanks for putting up with me 
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06-11-08, 03:38 AM
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#49 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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You're right about man vs machine....but stock for stock and factory options vs factory options.....theres not much in the US that can top some of the vehicles over here.
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06-12-08, 10:44 PM
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#50 | |
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IH8MUD Rookie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ito city, Shizuoka Japan
Posts: 8
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Quote:
Hell ya, I'd buy in volume if the conversion to bio were feasable and readily available. |
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06-13-08, 08:44 PM
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#51 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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It strange that you mention high insurance. My insurance is considerably lower on my 74 than on my BMW 850i as is all the taxes ad shaken testing. If I remove the back seat and have it reclassed as a truck, it will be even cheaper. If I swap out the lift springs for the test, its cheaper still. Theres quite a few ways to get around the wacky expenses they impose.
Another thought...in one of the 4x4 mags this month, I saw some sort of a strange catlytic converter or something, it was very strange and very technical looking, and it showed them replacing a rusty old muffler with it. aybe I'll grab the mag again and have my wife figure out what it is. |
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06-13-08, 10:20 PM
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#52 | |
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Walking The Line
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Al Anbar, Iraq.
Posts: 249
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Quote:
I feel your pain on the taxes, shaken and insurance. As a gift to me, my wife bought a 2.4l HiLux from a friend in Matsuyama, when we went to register it it was 260,000 yen on JCI alone, plus one year shaken inspections for being a 1 tag. Will add that it had a 4" Rancho lift and fender flares. Because of the height and width equalling a 1 tag, we couldn't afford the taxes and insurance so we were lucky enough to return the Hilux and get the money back. __________________ Randy 71 FJ40 81 HJ47 Troopie 82 BJ44 13B-T/H55/Cable Lockers 86 HJ61 VX 12H-T/Cable Lockers (Now my parts Cruiser) 92 LJ78(Sold) 96 FZJ80 Locked Coxwell-59th Alabama CSA |
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06-14-08, 06:27 AM
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#53 |
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IH8MUD Junior
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Japan
Posts: 195
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Its funny you mention Matsuyama...I live there....
The guy didn't tell me what number it'd be. Its a 400 right now. Pulling the seats would bring it down to a 8000 or 15000/year tax. The shop I picked up my truck from was a 4x4 custom shop and club HQ. Everyone recognizes the truck from mags and what not. The guy knew his way around skirting the government rules. I have a spare set of stock spring to drop the ride height back down for the testing. I may have to get some really shitty tires though, I don't think the super swamper 34s will get in under even with the stock springs. The thing keeping me from pulling the seats is the paper work needed to reclass it. I can have him do it, but he'll charge 20000. We'll see.... |
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